Hair shampoos contain as active ingredients anionic detergents which foam and clean hair. While very effective in their function of cleansing, anionics can be harsh to the hair surface, leaving hair in an overly dry, unmanageable state. Furthermore, the hair is rendered susceptible to electrostatic charge accumulation which promulgates the undesireable condition known as fly away hair. To mollify these adverse effects, it is the usual practice to incorporate selective ingredients into the shampoo formulation, other than those which contribute to product aesthetics. These selective mollifying additives, while effective in providing greater manageability and hair conditioning, unfortunately interfere with and reduce the anionic detergent's effectiveness in cleansing and foaming.
Hair conditioners and creme rinse preparations, on the other hand, employ cationic surfactants as their key ingredients. There materials, usually quaternary ammonium compounds, are substantive to the negatively charged keratinaceous protein of hair. Because of their substantive properties, treatment of hair with a hair conditioner containing cationic quaternary ammonium compounds (generally after shampooing) provides the hair with a lubricating surface film which allows for easy combing. Hence, knots and tangles, encountered in hair combing after shampooing, are easily dissipated through hair treatment with a cationic hair conditioner. Notwithstanding their desirable characteristics, cationic hair conditioners formulated with quaternary ammonium compounds tend to overcondition the hair, making the hair undesirably heavy, "bodiless" and unattractive in appearance.
Hair setting lotions and hair sprays are usually based upon polymeric resins which provide hair fixative effects. Hair is given rigidity through application of these products enabling the hair to hold a style configuration in place. Plasticizers are also formulated into the product which provide pliability to the films of the polymeric resin coating the hair. The plasticizers allow the resin film to bend, instead of rupturing or breaking under the stress of slight hair movement. However, the total hair holding potential of the polymeric hair fixative is reduced when plasticizers are incorporated. As a result, the strength of the hair configuration is weakened and the hair style is shortlived.
We have now discovered that a small amount of a specific N-alkyoxyalkylamide, when incorporated with the key ingredients of a shampoo, cationic hair conditioner, or resinous hair fixative product provide a product with a unique feel, lubricity, and sheen, without being greasy or heavy. In addition, treated hair is smoother, and easier to manage, has increased body, fullness, and softness. The N-alkyoxyamides of the invention are compatible with anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and polymeric resins in their respective formulation environment.